Two Sides
by Cursed Scribe
Summary: Lucinda is safe from the curse that's kept her from Daniel for millennia, but the sides are still unbalanced. While digging deeper into the histories between the fallen angels, learn why it isn't a black/white decision. A story from Daniel's perspective.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

Another bloodied lip, another swollen hand… our fights seemed almost pointless, yet we continued to find reasons to beat the shit out of each other on a regular basis. Maybe it filled some void that evolved when Cam chose his side, or maybe it was something that always existed between us, even when we were brothers.

Walking away through the haze of dust we always left behind, I almost had the inkling to turn around and quote a line from Princess Bride: "Good night, Cam. Good work. Sleep well. I'll most likely kill you in the morning." Except we wouldn't kill each other, not yet anyway. We'd both had our chances to take each other out - a lucky hit here, a cheap shot there – but for whatever reason, neither of us could go through with striking the other with the fatal starshot.

The road to Lucinda's apartment didn't feel welcoming at the moment. I knew she'd be upset by the wounds that would heal quickly, but it was the reason I fought Cam today that would really hurt her. I didn't have it in me to see the spark in her eye disappear, so I turned left instead of going straight and walked into Roland's bar.

"Hey, D-man. Where've you been hiding?" Roland called out as soon as the door closed behind me, taking away the blinding light from the outside that made it impossible to see faces as they entered.

He set a full glass of ice and watery brown liquid on the counter in front of the chair I always occupied. "Thanks, Ro," I said, looking straight down in the glass, not bothering to answer his question. I flicked at the condensation dripping down the glass before I finally hooked my finger over the rim and brought it to my lips, swallowing the entire volume in with one motion.

"Looks like Danny needs another." Gabbe's sweet, southern drawl felt like nails down the chalkboard, but the moment she had perched herself next to me, my annoyance had dissipated. "What's with the long face," she began. "Oh." She licked her thumb and wiped it along my lip line. "There ya go, sugah. Good as new."

"Thanks Gab," I sighed, swirling the ice around the empty glass. "And no, I don't want to talk about it."

"Talk about what?" Arriane asked, pulling a stool closer to the other side of me.

I turned my face towards her, rolling my eyes as she started laughing. "Not helping, Arr." I returned my focus to the new drink Roland had placed in front of me.

"Did you at least break his bones this time?" Arriane was practically bouncing in her chair, begging for details of the fight she'd missed.

"Maybe you should ask him," I suggested, speaking to the ice floating in my drink. I could feel his presence as he entered the bar, the air seemingly getting thicker and darker.

Cam took a seat in a booth near the dart board, immediately looping his arms around two intoxicated women. The laughter alone was enough to propel me towards him.

Unfortunately, Roland didn't take kindly to us destroying his bar and forcefully grabbed my arm before I'd taken two steps. "D. This is my place and if you start your shit up in here again, I'm going to be the one to finish it." His head tilted in the direction of the hidden starshot he kept behind the bar for extreme emergencies.

While I doubted his threat was real, I respected him enough to honor his wishes and settled back onto my seat. "After all the fights he's started in here and you're going to stop _me_?" I shook my head, but wouldn't meet his gaze, instead keeping the rest of my demon related comments to myself while finishing off the second drink.

Despite being a demon, Roland had always been a good friend. If it wasn't for me, I'm not sure he'd even been among the fallen. Then again… it made me question something that should've been answered long ago: do we really have a choice in our paths? We were never granted free will, which is why many of us were willing to fall. Were we created with these sides built in?

Arriane, Gabbe, and even Molly couldn't deny their allegiances. Roland, on the other hand, seemed to quietly align himself with Satan, a decision he has never explained to me. "_We all have to pick sides, D_," he said with a shrug when I asked him many years after his wings showed his choice.

"Not all of us," I said aloud and then realized I wasn't in that long ago place.

"Well you might not, but I'm going to go have some fun chasing away Cam's hookers," Arriane said as she flitted away.

"You haven't been this upset about fighting with Cam in a long time. What's eatin' at you, sweetie?" Gabbe draped her arm across my back and rested her head on my shoulder.

She was right; I wasn't usually affected like this after a good brawl with Cam, not since we turned our backs on each other and he picked his side. Before that, there was little I wouldn't do for him. He was my closest ally and the one who refused to pick sides, like me. He was the one who was there every time I lost Lucinda, the one who would kick the shit out of me if I spiraled too far into the darkness that followed every fiery end.

I sighed deeply, pushing the empty glass away. "Nothing important, Gab." I turned to smile at her, but it felt more like a wince.

"Aww, honey. Is everything okay with Luce?"

I knew Gabbe meant well, but I didn't want to have deep relationship conversations with her. It was bad enough they knew as many intimate details as they did. "No, Luce is fine. She's working on hard on her dissertation."

"Oh, that's so exciting. Does that mean I can start planning…"

I cut her off immediately. "Don't start with that. Not today." I quickly stood and threw some money on the bar before walking away from Gabbe.

"Oh, no. Where do you think you're going?" Arriane stopped me with an angry hand on my chest.

"Ruining Cam's sex life wasn't enough for you tonight?" I asked, trying to divert her from the conversation I didn't want to have.

"Yeah, he always picks the stupidest… wait a second. You're not getting out of this easily. Cam told me. You don't believe him, do you?"

Her hand lowered just enough that I could force myself past her without pushing her against the wall. "I… I don't know." I stopped for a second with my hand on the door. "I can't afford to risk it now, either." My fist collided with the door with a muted thump as I exited out to the barely lit street.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

The night air was hot and humid. It didn't do much to help my mood, but thankfully Lucinda was working late at the library and didn't suspect anything was wrong when I sent her a cryptic text about not stopping by until the morning. More than I hated not seeing her, I knew I had to work through how I was going to talk to her about the latest threat Cam had laid on me.

From atop my perch on the highest building, I spread my wings and took off towards the clouds. Something about being high above the world invigorated me and helped clear my head regardless of the earthly problems. Eventually, I knew the pull of her would bring me back, like an invisible hand that always beckoned me, coaxing me in with a warmth that was unlike anything else I'd ever known. Even though I knew she was long asleep, I could almost see her energy reaching up to me as I hovered out of sight.

The air was cooler and less constricting up high. A strong, salty breeze caressed my feathers that radiated in the light of the moon. I took deep, calming breaths and basked in the peaceful atmosphere for hours. When the sky to the east began to glow with a pink hue, I slowly made my descent, landing in a field a few miles outside of the city.

The tall grass surrendered willingly under my feet as I retracted my wings and walked towards the highway. There weren't enough people awake yet for me to have to be this cautious, but I needed time to readjust to the tension lingering in the air.

After making a stop at Lucinda's favorite bakery, I knocked softly on her apartment door.

The way her eyes changed the moment they found mine was enough to erase the rest of the unsettled feeling I couldn't shake before I arrived. "Presents so early in the morning? And you brought food, too?" She winked and opened the door wide, granting me access to her small two-bedroom apartment.

My usual reaction to her intoxicating presence would have been to toss the food aside and pin her against the wall until she insisted she was going to be late for school or work. My mood today was more reserved and she knew immediately that something was wrong when I only brushed past her lips, giving her a gentle peck.

Her gaze sharpened as she narrowed her eyes at me, studying my features. "Another fight with Cam?" she asked, the annoyance seeping into her words.

I shrugged and set her strawberry Danish and cappuccino on the coffee table, taking a forcibly casual seat on her couch. "Nothing to worry about," I lied and picked up the remote.

Lucinda immediately moved between the television and me, hands on her hips, scowl on her face. "Oh, no, Mr. Grigori. You don't get to come in here after avoiding me for the night because you got in a fight and then tell me not to worry. Spill."

Even in her anger, she was still the most beautiful creature I'd ever known. A genuine smile appeared on my lips as I dropped the remote and reached for her. "Just more things you don't need to worry about. How's your paper going?" I reached for her hand and tangled my fingers with hers, tugging her onto my lap.

Her sigh told me she wasn't going to let this drop easily, but she relaxed into my lap, touching the fading evidence from the previous night's fight. "So unfair," she breathed.

I studied her face with my eyes and tips of my fingers. "It would only be unfair if you didn't have the same affect on me."

Lucinda shifted her weight in my lap. "I still want to know what you were fighting about. Screw school and work and the paper; if it's important to you, it's important to me."

As I brushed a strand of hair behind her ears, a breath that I didn't know I was holding in slowly escaped. "I'm sure it's just Cam trying to get to me," I began.

Lucinda was about to argue with me when Arriane burst through the door. "Did you tell her yet?" she asked, picking up the Danish and taking a bite.

"No, would you care to tell me since Mr. Avoidance over here won't." She stood up and walked next to Arriane, grabbing the drink from the table while throwing me irritated looks.

"Enough, Arr. Luce doesn't need this right now. Cam's just talking out his ass like usual," I said dismissively.

"That's not what you thought last night," Arriane said, happily popping the last of the pastry in her mouth.

A low growl erupted from my chest and I threw her an angry look as I stood up. "What's the point in telling her? It's not going to happen anytime soon anyway."

"Says you… How does Luce feel about it? Are you going to control _everything_ in her life?" Arriane stared me down until I broke off.

"Wait, what? What's not going to happen soon? Will somebody _please_ tell me what the hell is going on and stop acting like I'm not here and can't hear you?"

Arriane and I both stopped and stared at Lucinda as she threw her arms up in the air, somehow managing not to spill her coffee.

Arriane cleared her throat, but I spoke up before she had a chance to tell Lucinda in her not-so-delicate way. "Cam claims the end may not result from me making a choice, but what my child chooses." My eyes quickly switched back and forth between her eyes, hoping to be clued in on her thoughts before she found her voice.

"So do I get to decide whether or not I have children?" Lucinda's hands were on her hips, which was never a good sign.

Arraine answered, "Yes," at the same time I said, "No."

I pressed the bridge of my nose between my thumb and forefinger. "Until I know for sure, no, there is no choice. I can't even believe this is an issue."

Without another word, she walked into her bedroom and slammed the door.

"Smooth as rocks, D. You have a lot of work to do, and I don't just mean kissing Luce's ass. I got her. Go get your answers." Arriane walked over and jiggled the doorknob. "Luce," she said in her sweet voice. "Let me in so I don't have to break your door down." She threw me another look and motioned for me to leave.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

One of the benefits of being a watcher is that I'm afforded some leniency when it comes to visiting churches and accessing their knowledge bases. While the fallen aren't technically banned, their presence inside is usually frowned upon.

The local churches weren't going to contain the information I needed, so after I forced myself to leave Lucinda in the care of Arriane, I flew to Italy. The Vatican was never a place I enjoyed spending much time; too many pompous, self-serving men had been appointed to lead the church since the early days, with only a rare exception thrown in every century or two.

The sun had just set, making the sky behind the building glow in a brilliant purple light that almost seemed to be a beacon for me. I knew without looking, though, that my eyes didn't match that vibrant violet color; leaving Lucinda on bad terms always darkened my very core.

A quiet hall greeted me more than anything else there could have. The swarms of visitors had been escorted out for the night and most of the residents were in their private quarters or sitting down for their evening meal. It wasn't until I had entered the ornate main library that I ran into someone.

"Mr. Grigory. This is a surprise. We were not expecting you," the clothed man stuttered in Italian.

"Father Francesco," I said as I bowed my head slightly, blinking once slowly to show reverence. "I did not expect to be here. Can you tell me, is Father Kelly available this evening?"

"I have not seen him today, but I will go find him, Mr. Grigory," Father Francesco said nervously, walking backwards toward the hallway he had just emerged from. "P..p..please feel free to make your way to the private library."

I nodded, a slight grin on my lips, watching him with strange amusement. "Thank you."

As he left, I casually walked towards the hidden door, pushing my way into the private room. The scent of old parchment, books, and dust hung heavy in the air. It wasn't time for nostalgia, though. My task at hand was far more important than remembering the decades I had spent putting together and using the documents in the small room. I could only hope something in the collection would give me the answer I desperately needed.

"Daniel," a warm, Irish voice greeted me from behind while I scanned the names of some of the volumes.

"Father Kelly," I said with a genuine smile, reaching my hand out to shake his. The round, balding man had been a dear friend of mine since I'd met him before he made the choice to be a priest. A cocky, drunken child with everything to prove had turned his life around after meeting me and became a well respected man of the cloth, at least that's the story he told anyone who would listen. I had little faith that I held that kind of sway on anyone, but it was easier to offer him a drink of whiskey than argue with him.

"What brings you around these parts, old friend?" He shook my hand, but eyed me strangely, knowing it wasn't a friendly chat that brought me to him.

"I need your help researching something that I'm not even sure is documented," I began cryptically. Father Kelly had become one of the most authoritative humans on fallen angels. He had absorbed everything in the private collection that I had amassed over the years as a watcher along with a few things that I'd told him that weren't officially documented. It had been over a decade since our last meeting and I hadn't since I'd found Lucinda again.

He continued to wait patiently to get to the point of my visit, something he would've never afforded me in his youth. "I'm guess you've found Lucinda again and you're looking for something else to break the curse?" Father Kelly shook his head and made his way over to the shelf dedicated to the details of each of Lucinda's lives. "I've gone over this a thousand times and there just isn't anything here that suggests there's a way out of this. Sometimes it's better to not push His patience." He made the sign of the cross and looked up before continuing his search.

I took his arm, demanding his attention. "Yes, I found her. Several years ago. The curse…," I trailed off, trying to find the most delicate way to tell him. "It's been broken. Lucinda is twenty-three and knows everything." I nodded my head slowly as he processed what I said.

"But how?"

I almost felt bad as I watched his face twist with an array of emotions; the world he knew was suddenly different and I could see him questioning everything. I took hold of his arm to ground him. "Father Kelly. Please. This is not what I've come to you for. I promise to explain all of that, but what's most important now is the balance."

His features finally relaxed again. "Are you considering choosing a side?"

The question I'd been asked too many times over the millennia never ceased to annoy me. "I made my choice when I fell. I will always choose her." I practically spat the words out, but immediately felt sorry for treating him like that. "No, my dear friend Cam has led me to believe my choice might not matter so much anymore."

A small scowl appeared on his face. "Since when do you take stock in anything that demon says? Why haven't you sent him back where he belongs yet?" Father Kelly began busying himself with rearranging volumes.

"Since it could affect my child, the one that Lucinda will want someday," I said, the sorrow etched in my words. More than anything, I wanted this time with her to be everything that she'd wanted from all her past lives: a husband, a family, a life without the threat that my presence always brought. I had given her the chance at a life together with me without the threat; the rest was still being worked through.

Father Kelly's brow raised and his attention turned away from the dusty books to me. "I'm listening."

I nodded and sat down with him at the small desk, recounting the details of Cam's threat.

"I'm not sure I've seen anything about this loophole, Daniel. You know I've been through these volumes hundreds of times. I just don't believe Nephilims have enough sway to tip the scales either way."

"I know, that's my understanding, too," I said as I rubbed my forehead in frustration. "I don't know why, but I have this feeling that Cam isn't lying about this. And until I know for sure…" I sighed, not continuing.

"Were you and this Lucinda planning on marriage and a family?" Father Kelly asked, seemingly very surprised.

I nodded sadly. "She's almost through graduate school and we were going to wed afterwards."

His head cocked to the side. "In a church?"

I laughed sadly. "You know I couldn't do that. We never worked out the details, but I know her and Gabbe have been planning something. I had to put a halt to all of that."

"I will see what I can find out about this, but I'm not hopeful on getting you an answer soon, Daniel. You have to understand that there's a whole other side of the story that we don't have access to. There might be something in one of the demon books that will explain this." He shook his head with a look of disgust on his face. "That is outside my area, though."

"I know it is. I appreciate your help with this, however little it might be."

Father Kelly looked down at his watch and then stood up. "I'm afraid I'm expected for evening prayers five minutes ago. Will you be around tomorrow?"

He already knew the answer, so it was not a surprise to him when I laughed at his question. "I will be here a few more hours and then I should get back to check on Lucinda." I stood up and embraced him, patting his back with less force than I did in his youth. "I'll be in touch with you in a couple of weeks. I really appreciate this."

"You'd better bring some whiskey with you next time. And not the cheap stuff," he said seriously before a smile broke out on his face. "Be careful, Daniel. You and your lass might not be in the same danger as you've been in before, but there's definitely something bad looming on the horizon."

"I know. And thank you. I'll bring some of the good stuff next time we meet and we'll hopefully be celebrating an end to this nonsense."

"Until next time, Daniel."

As soon as the door closed, I pulled a stack of books from the shelf and began skimming through fragile pages.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

I only knew of one demon that might help me, but a visit to Roland would have to wait. It was just after eleven when I arrived back at Lucinda's apartment. I listened for a moment outside her door to make sure she wasn't already asleep before I knocked.

Arriane cracked opened the door. "Did you find your answers?" she asked without a greeting.

"No," I said quietly while shaking my head.

"You probably shouldn't be here then," she said coolly.

I placed my hand on the door, pressing against it to open it enough to get inside.

Arriane shook her head and placed her hand on my chest, pushing me away and walking out the door. "Luce is already asleep. So maybe you should spend some more time coming up with a solution to this that doesn't involve dictating how she has to live her life."

The loud bang of a slammed door rang out. "Right. She's asleep." I frowned, but surrendered to Arriane's stance and stepped back. "I'm not trying to take away her choices. Do you think I'm enjoying this? I've waited how long to be with her, to live like we have the chance to now and you honestly think I want to derail everything?" I turned my back on her and paced in the hallway, trying to keep my voice low, but my frustration was winning. "I was willing to marry her as soon as she graduated high school."

"Yeah, such a noble gesture, Daniel. You just wanted to test out what it would finally be like to sleep with her after chasing her for so long." Arriane twirled a strand of hair with her finger and blew a loud bubble with her gum.

I rolled my eyes at her. "That wasn't the only reason. And I was the one who suggested we wait until after college to do that, so she could do what was always important to her without… distractions."

"You're a huge distraction to her even without the sex. Just look at her now… she's a wreck. A good roll in the hay might do her some good." A sly grin appeared on her face as she nodded.

"Is that what would be good for her or you," I retorted with narrowed eyes.

Arriane punched me in my shoulder. "Shut it or I'll make things harder for you."

I didn't doubt her for a moment. "Fine. Can you just tell her I'm sorry for this and that I'm working on a solution?"

She leaned against the door way, a small smirk on her lips. "What do you think the solution is?" She gazed at me smugly, challenging me to show her I had a plan.

"I have to get access to the demon texts," I said plainly.

"Psh. Good luck with that," she said dismissively and rolled her eyes.

"Glad to see you have faith in me, Arr." I shook my head, but allowed a bit of amusement to enter my tone.

I was surprised when she didn't mock me back. She looked at me like she was telling me something obvious. "If anyone can do this, it's you. Now get going. I'm sure I'll have to scrounge up another box of tissues."

"I appreciate you. Thank you for taking care of her," I said while shoving my hands in my pockets, walking backwards towards the stairwell.

"You owe me big, Daniel!" she yelled after me before closing the door.

Walking down the stairwell, I shook my head and allowed a small laugh to come out. I didn't doubt that Arriane would make me pay for having to watch over Lucinda… again. After being practically her guardian at Sword and Cross and then the intervening while Lucinda was at Shoreline, I had to set her up on a week's vacation at the Halekulani resort in Hawaii and buy her a new car. It was a small price to pay for having someone I trusted watch after Lucinda. And despite Arriane's ways, her loyalty was something I never questioned.

The streetlight outside the apartment building was burned out, so when I walked into the balmy night air, I didn't hesitate to unfurl my wings. I glanced up in time to see Lucinda looking out her window down at me before pulling her curtains closed.

My hand fell to my heart to soothe the ache in my chest. "Sorry, Lucinda." I beat my wings and took off.

A few minutes later, I arrived at Roland's bar. It didn't matter that it was the middle of the week and most of the patrons had to be at their jobs in eight hours, the entertainment he booked had people dismissing their responsibilities in order to be at his place every night.

"D!" Rolland called out from behind the bar.

Rolling my shoulders as I readjusted to my wings inside, I walked towards him, unable to return his jubilant smile. "You have a few minutes to talk?"

Rolland looked around at the crowd dancing to the live band, down his bar at all the occupied seats, and then back at me. "Give me an hour for the crowd to clear out, cool?" He slid a glass across the counter, stopping perfectly in front of me.

"I'll be waiting in back," I said, not bothering to take the drink as I walked through the swinging door that led to the back rooms of the bar.

I wasn't satisfied waiting in one of the rooms, though. Making quick work of picking the lock, I entered the small office and hit the light switch. The strip light flickered several times before buzzing to life, shining a blinding, unnatural white glow on everything.

"How can you stand working in this?" I questioned aloud.

Apparently Roland didn't have any issues with it. His desk was neatly organized with employee files, invoices, a ledger, computer, and a pencil holder that was filled with same-sized sharpened pencils topped with perfectly pink, unused erasers. Between the small space between the side of his desk and the wall was a large bookshelf that was filled with alphabetized music CDs on almost all the shelves.

My attention was immediately drawn to the top shelf that was crammed with books, both old and new. Pushing the stack of files away from the corner of the desk, I hopped up and started browsing the titles. A few looked promising and I slide them off, making a stack in my left arm before taking one step off the desk, landing back on the floor.

I circled back to the chair, propping my feet up on the edge of the desk and began reading the first in a volume titled _daemonis oeuvre_. As detestable as it was to read their version of history, I forced myself to dive in and absorb the details, hoping my time wouldn't be wasted.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

Glossing over the details of the fall from another perspective wasn't any better than living through it. The memories of the days we fell haunted me when I let them - those days of not knowing if I had pushed too much, if I had doomed my friends to an eternity of oblivion. I remembered reaching out and grabbing hold of them at different points, but what always stood out in those memories was the conviction in Cam's words when he told me he would always stand by me…

"Doing some light reading, Danny?" Cam's mocking voice hung in the air like a knife ready to stab me. "You're not going to find anything in those old…" He stopped to fake a yawn and then continued, "…boring stories."

I swallowed hard, trying to push aside the nostalgia of our long gone friendship. "I'm busy, Cam, so why don't you go harass some prostitutes or something," I said coolly, my gaze meeting his only briefly before returning to the text, skimming through the words I'd been reading more carefully than I'd intended.

Cam pulled the book from my hand, laughing as his eyes read past the words. "Feeling sentimental?"

I stood up and snatched the book back. "The only feeling I get from reading this trash is pity for those of you buying into this crap. 'Been wronged'? You guys chose this for yourselves…"

Another person announced their presence by clearing his throat. "Not all of us chose," Roland said angrily, staring me down as he walked forward. "What the hell are you doing in my office, D?" He placed his hand on the stack of books I had set on his desk.

I was too irritated by Cam's presence to let Roland's remark bother me. "Waiting for you," I shot back, stealing a quick glance at the amused Cam.

"I said we could talk, not that you could break into my office and go through my shit. Get out," he shouted and pointed to the door.

I didn't move, though, but instead motioned my head towards Cam. "Not until after he leaves and we have our conversation."

"Not your office, not your rules, D. Cam and I have business first. So get your ass out of my chair and go have a drink at the bar. I'll be with you in a bit."

Cam chortled as I stood, abiding to the wishes of my friend only because the information he could get me was more important than my pride.

"Get used to being insignificant," Cam said under his breath as I passed through the doorway.

The door closed behind me, but I didn't look back to see if either had stepped out to see me off or not. Pushing my way angrily through the swinging door, I made my way to the first unoccupied barstool and was promptly served with a tall beer.

I drank two more before Roland sauntered out, not making eye contact with as he took his place back behind the bar. I watched him closely while he took inventory, gave instructions to his bar staff, and serve three people, laughing and making small talk, all without giving me a second glance.

Finally, I pushed my glass towards the inside edge of the counter, watching as it teetered on the edge before Roland snatched it out of the air. "You break it, you buy it," he said in a strained, casual tone.

"Maybe I should be more careful then," I said calmly, still attempting to make eye contact.

Roland tossed the glass to another bartender and then started wiping up the sweat rings left on the counter.

On his third pass, I grabbed his wrist. "I need to talk to you," I insisted, rather than asked.

"I'm pretty busy. Another night, perhaps," he explained and then pulled his wrist free of my grasp and walked towards the other end of the bar.

I leaped over the counter and rushed after him, grabbing his arm and pinning him against the bottle rack behind the bar. "We are doing this now," I demanded as I forced my determined gaze on his.

Some of the patrons and staff shifted nervously as I held the owner captive. Roland's eyes gave away the large bouncer that was stepping in, so when he grabbed my shoulder of the arm holding Roland, I was prepared and swung my elbow back, connecting with his nose, sending him reeling backwards. A woman screamed as blood exploded onto the counter and the sound of breaking glass demanded the silence of the remaining customers.

"It's your choice, Ro. We can walk back to your office peacefully, or I can take on your staff and destroy half your bar," I threatened in a calm voice.

With one simple nod of his head, the staff began cleaning up and I loosened my grip on him, allowing him to walk in front of me back through the doors and into his office.

"Close the door," he said. His long dreadlocks lifted from his shoulders as he spun around quickly and sat in his chair. He drummed his steepled fingers in front of his face while his elbows rested on the arms of his leather chair as he waited for me to do as he'd instructed.

I turned the doorknob, closing it silently before turning around to face him, my arms crossed as I sat in the vinyl-covered metal chair opposite of his. "I need to know…," I began, but was quickly cut off.

"I know what you're after and I'm sorry to tell you that I can't help you this time." He sat like a statue, no emotions on his features, as he delivered his speech.

"If this has to do with something Cam told you," I spat, leaning forward in my seat.

Roland cut me off again, holding up his hand. "I could care less about the stupid games you and Cam constantly play. The information you need is protected and only a select few have access to it."

"Are you one of those people?" I asked, knowing he had a lot of respect among his kind for his fair, yet generous nature.

His eyes shifted slightly as his shoulders barely raised. "It wouldn't matter if I was or wasn't. _You_ are not privy to the information in those books."

"Books? There's more than one?" I asked, realizing he might actually be trying to subtly feed me the information I need.

"There is a collection, all contain and require a key to access the others. There are only a handful of people that know where to even look for them."

"But Cam knew, and I know he wasn't 'privy' to that information. Someone fed it to him. I want to know who and why."

"I don't know who gave Cam the information. My business is running this bar and making sure my patrons are happy, not babysit you or Cam."

"Do you believe he's telling the truth, that because I've refused to make a choice, it will fall to my child?" I couldn't help but swallow hard after speaking those words, the lump in my throat growing with my anxiety.

Roland simply nodded and leaned forward, resting his forearms and intertwined hands on the desk separating us. His eyes bore into me, like he was trying to telepathically convey something to me.

I leaned closer to him, pleading with him in hushed tones. "Just tell me where to look. I have to find a way to stop this choice from being passed down."

Shaking his head, he backed away, leaning against his high chair back again. "Can't help you there, D. My hands are tied." He held up his hands, flashing both sides of them at me before resting them on the armrests.

A growl of frustration rumbled in my chest as I stood up and turned my back to him, walking towards the door.

"Take some time off, Daniel. Maybe some alone time in a cave somewhere would do you some good."

I froze at the doorway, processing the meaning of his specifically chosen words. It wasn't long before it clicked and a small grin flashed on my lips. "Maybe you're right," I said with a hint of hope hanging in my words. "Thanks."

I left the office, intending to make a short stop by Lucinda's apartment before heading out for the Caverns of Time.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

Her pained voice echoed in my head as I plucked an Announcer from the shadows in the stairwell at Lucinda's apartment. A couple hours earlier, I nearly broke down her door to see her… that stubborn woman who I adored more than anything else in my existence. A smile spread across my face momentarily as I remembered how the angry, shocked look dissolved almost immediately after I offered her an apology. I whispered it several more times to her lips and the top of her head as I wrapped my arms and wings around her, encasing her in my warmth.

"_Please don't go_," she begged of me after I explained to her where I had to go to try to fix things. She kissed my hands repeatedly as she looked up at me through her long, thick lashes that almost masked the redness in her eyes. "_There has to be a different way. You could just pick a side…_"

I lowered myself down to one knee, switching perspectives with her as I looked up at her beautifully tear-streaked face. "_I already picked my side and it's you. I promise you that I will come back and when I do…_" I reached into my pocket and offered up to her a simple, yet perfect band. "_If you agree, we will get married and put this behind us_."

I stared into her glossy orbs as new tears formed. Unable to find her voice, she nodded her head vigorously and held her left hand out to me. I slipped my promise onto her third finger and kissed it before caressing her cheek with my hand, interrupting a stream of tears.

"_Arriane and Gabbe will be checking on you. I just want you to focus on your paper and I'll be back soon_," I said gently as I lifted myself up to her swollen lips. Her sadness was echoed in her kiss and it affected me to the core, but I didn't let her see it.

My hand was on the doorknob before she spoke. "_When will you be back_?" she forced out.

With my back to her, I closed my eyes tight, knowing it wasn't possible for me to honestly answer that. I turned to face her and forced a reassuring smile on my face. "_Soon, Luce. This shouldn't take long._" If she had been closer and her eyes weren't blurry from crying, she would've seen the lies in my eyes. Time was a constant and travelling through it didn't stop the passage of it in the time your soul was designated to be in. The journey to the caverns was difficult, entrance inside even more so, and then trying to find my answers in a future time…

I sighed inwardly, but maintained my composure externally. "_Don't ever forget how much I love you_."

As the door closed, she called out to me, "_Don't go. Please? I need you, Daniel_._ I love you!_"

Swallowing my emotion, I immediately pulled my phone from my pocket and called Gabbe and Arriane to go to Lucinda's apartment as soon as they could.

"_Be safe, Danny_," a serious Gabbe had said.

"_Aren't I always_," I joked, but took her warning to heart.

Stiff and unwilling to take shape, the Announcer fought against allowing me to enter and reach my destination. I appreciated that this was the easy part of my journey and eventually coerced the shadow to open to me.

Before I reached my destination, a cold hand grabbed me. _You should not be taking this journey_, the voiceless figure warned.

I forcibly yanked my arm away from the Scale. "I shouldn't have to be forced to take this. Tell me, why didn't you tell me my choice would be passed down?"

_It Is not our responsibility to deliver information pertaining to the balance, only to watch how it plays out_.

"Bullshit. You have an agenda and I won't allow you or anyone else to force mine and Lucinda's child to play your game."

I felt the Scale move around to the other side of me. _Is Lucinda with child then? Has she lost her purity?_ There was eagerness in the words conveyed only in my head that made me sick to my stomach.

I let the questions hang unanswered in the darkness until I could see my destination. "We'll wed when I've made certain our future is safe," I said as I stepped out and onto a cold, dark beach.

Instantly, the Shadow crumbled and blended with the coarse sand that crunched beneath my feet as I walked towards the acrid smell emanating from the rocks. I hated to bring the stench inside my body, but it was the least of my concerns as I passed through the stone archway into an impossibly black room.

_Why have you come?_ a genderless voice demanded.

"You know why I'm here without me answering. I need to travel to another time."

_An Announcer can take you to your past times_, it replied, seeming to fade away as the archway was lit with an external light.

"Wait. It isn't the past that holds my answers."

The light faded and I was once again standing in complete darkness. _A journey such as that is very costly, Daniel Grigory. Are you prepared to make the payment_?

I had never travelled forward in time before, but I knew it was dangerous both in the journey and in the price to pay to make it. I nodded. "Yes. I'm ready."

_We require a part of you, something that is most special to you, to insure you will return to your just time without causing interruptions to the future._

My eyes grew wide and I burst out. "No, you can't have her!"

_Lucinda Price is not yours to give. We require the part of your soul that is tied to her, though. It is the thing you have always treasured most._

"You want to rip part of my soul from me?" My forehead scrunched and I shook my head in disbelief.

Suddenly the light shown behind me. _If you are not willing to agree to the price…_

I had no choice; I needed to find answers. "When I return, it is returned to me?"

_It will be waiting for you in your right time_.

I didn't like the cryptic answer and worried not only what would happen to that part of me when it was severed from me, but also that I would lose the one thing that was driving this journey – the part of me that kept me going forward even in the darkest hours of my existence. I swallowed hard. "Let's begin," I said calmly, stepping forward towards a new, faded, grey light.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

I had travelled through time before, going backwards and then moving forward to the present. That always felt like wading through oncoming water when travelling to the past, with a strange gravity pulling me back to the right time. This was nothing like that. Instead of fighting against the stream, it felt more like walking through a narrow tunnel lined with razor blades. The pain was intense, both physical and mental; I was forced to relive every one of Lucinda's deaths, but instead of the devastating feeling I'd always been left with, the one that also told me she would return, there was nothing but an eerie hollowness in my core. My brain remembered Lucinda and the reason for my journey, but my soul had been shattered. It was up to my brain to continue to convince me this excursion was important.

The moment I was flung onto the hard ground, I felt completely out of place. It took several minutes before I could catch my breath and a few more before the vertigo faded. As soon as I could, I stood up and surveyed the landscape. Everything seemed unnatural and artificial. I scooped up a handful of dirt; it felt wet, but sprinkled to the ground like it hadn't seen a drop of moisture in years. I looked out to the horizon where dark clouds were rolling in, but the light in front of it seemed strange and other-worldly.

The smell of sulfur hung thick in the air as I started walking towards the city. My wings that were still unfurled felt like they hadn't stretched out in years. As I took more steps, people seemed to phase in around me. There were swarms of women and children screaming and being herded by men. None seem to notice me until a small girl bumped into me (I hadn't seen her before that moment, either) and looked up at me with wide eyes.

"You're… you're…," she stammered.

Tilting my head, I looked down at her with concern and curiosity until I saw her staring at my wings. I quickly folded them behind my back, but didn't tuck them away. "Where's your mother?" I asked as I glanced around expecting to find a woman searching frantically for a lost child.

The girl's eyes became glossy and she shook her head. "Please don't kill me, too."

I was taken by surprise by her request and knelt down in front of her. She immediately backed away, but I grabbed her arm to stop her retreat. "I'm not going to hurt you. You've seen other angels?"

Before she could answer, I was hit from behind with a heavy object. I heard the impact against my skull before I felt the pain, and only experienced that for a moment before my eyes closed of their own accord.

"He's coming to," I heard a male voice say.

My eyes were blurry in the bright light as they opened slowly. I could smell a faint scent of blood, but when I moved to feel the back of my pounding head, my arms were held tight in place. I jerked my arms to free them, but whoever restrained me knew what they were doing. I squinted my eyes and tried to clear my vision to see the faces of my captures as I spoke. "Let me go," I demanded through gritted teeth.

"You heard him, Billy. Untie him," a louder voice said from the doorway.

"But… I thought…" The young boy stammered as he walked hesitantly towards me.

"Thank you," I said under my breath as he stood in front of me. I was surprised to see a boy who looked to be no older than fourteen or fifteen shaking in front of me, like he'd been told to release a wild animal they caught.

His eyes widened in surprise as I spoke to him, but he didn't say anything to me. I relaxed and tried to gain my bearings as Billy struggled to untie the ropes.

As soon as I took a deep breath and relaxed, the man from the doorway was suddenly in front of me. He backhanded Billy, sending him flying into the wall. "Are you daft, boy? Why the hell would we free this monster?"

My wings involuntarily twitched as I tried to move to protect the child, but as soon as they tried to extend, pain that was ten times worse than my head flared from my wings and shot through my entire body like a jolt of electricity. "Owwww!" I yelled, which was followed by a growl at the only man in my field of vision.

"Hurts to have those broke, don't it? When ya have been in the business of huntin' outcasts as long as I have, ya learn the right spots…" he leaned forward and plucked out a feather from on the inside of the break in my wing and then lowered his voice… "to cause the most pain."

I closed my eyes tight to the pain, but refused to cry out again as he pulled a very sensitive plume from my wing, which he stroked against my cheek. He wasn't a large man, but he definitely had enough presence to lead the (I stopped for a second to mentally count the men I'd noticed in the room) seven people gathered.

"We have another tough one, boys. Have we cleaned up from the last one who thought he were better than us?" The man's voice was gruff, but almost musical. There was no doubt that he enjoyed the power of his position.

I remained in a quiet, meditative state, focusing on burying the pain, while he rallied his group, pumping them up for whatever job they were supposed to be doing, which I quickly decided was going to be unpleasant for everyone involved. I knew that for every man sick with power like him, there were people under him who didn't feel as impassioned about the cause, people like Billy.

When I heard the last of the footsteps leave the room, I opened my eyes again, breathing out a staggered breath as I coped with the pain. I'd been broken in many ways throughout my existence, but very few mortals had ever laid witness to my wings, let alone touch/break them. I could count on one hand the number of times they had been injured, but this situation was unique and humbling.

It was only between waves of pain that my brain was able to remind me of the reason for this unfortunate journey. "I have to find my family," I whispered to myself.

"Family?" Billy stepped out of the corner of the room, his voice cracking as he repeated the word. "Who are you?" he asked, taking hesitant steps toward me.

"I'm Daniel," I replied, feeling the strength of who I was pulse from within me as I said my name. I lifted my head up and looked him in the eyes. "And I need your help to get out of here, Billy."


End file.
